Real-Time Digital Holographic Microscopy for Phase Contrast 3D Imaging of Dynamic Phenomena

Digital holography is a very effective tool for three- dimensional imaging of objects, since it yields the phase information directly without the need for additional optics. Another advantage is that of numerical focusing, allowing one to focus on to any desired plane. It has been used for microscopy with high effectiveness. One of the important features of digital holographic microscopy (DHM) is that it can be used for phase contrast imaging of otherwise transparent objects. This aspect of DHM is utilized here to study the dynamics of phase objects. Angular spectrum propagation (ASP) approach to scalar diffraction theory is used for numerical reconstruction of holograms.